Menthol Found to Be Most Dangerous Flavor in E-cigarettes

Better regulation of e-cigarettes urgently needed

Rockville, Md. (September 7, 2022)—Menthol added to e-cigarettes poses the most danger to your lungs, among three flavors studied by physiologists at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Menthol is a chemical that produces a mint flavor. When inhaled in high doses through e-cigarettes, menthol could cause damage to the lung surfactant, a fatty protein coating that lowers surface tension and makes breathing easy. The findings are published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and the study has been chosen as an APSselect article for September.  

“A better understanding of their health impacts and better regulation
of e-cigarettes is urgently needed.” —Yi Y. Zuo, PhD

E-cigarettes are as addictive as traditional combustible cigarettes, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. More than 15,000 e-cigarette flavor blends are available to users, and most of them are food-grade additives and scents. In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed banning menthol in cigarettes and cigars, but the FDA so far has not included e-cigarettes in that potential ban. In addition, the health effects of inhaled flavors on the body’s respiratory system are mostly unknown. What physiologists do know is menthol could cause dysfunction of the lung surfactant, potentially resulting in respiratory failure.

A team led by Yi Y. Zuo, PhD, conducted a study to investigate the respiratory impact of e-cigarette aerosols. Researchers exposed surfactant samples from cows to menthol-flavored aerosols to determine their effect and discovered “significant surfactant inhibition.” Zuo noted that despite being advertised as a healthier alternative to traditional combustible cigarettes, this finding, as well as other long-term data uncovered in recent years, suggests e-cigarettes are not as safe as first promised.

Read the full article, “Menthol in electronic cigarettes causes biophysical inhibition of pulmonary surfactant.” It is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program. Read all of this month’s selected research articles.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our Newsroom.

Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.